The Hotel Fort Des Moines will become one of Hilton Hotel’s boutique inns when massive renovations to the historic downtown Des Moines building are completed by the end of next year.

The $40 million project will renovate the 101-year-old hotel from top to bottom.

It will reopen as part of Hilton's Curio Collection, which is comprised of 51 hotels in 17 countries, said Mark Nogal, global head of Curio Collection by Hilton. The nearly four-year-old company looks for "independent hotels that have a unique history and connection to their community," he said.

The Hotel Fort Des Moines, located at 1000 Walnut St., will use the Hilton reservation system, but its name will stay the same.

The Diplomat Resort Hollywood, Curio Collection by Hilton was built in 1958.(Photo: Curio Collection by Hilton)

“We will carry our own name and our own brand and identity,” said Raj Patel, chief development officer for Hawkeye Hotels.

The Coralville-based company, which owns 55 hotels in 14 states, purchased the Hotel Fort Des Moines for $4 million in 2015. It has been closed since November 2015.

“I didn’t want to get rid of the Hotel Fort Des Moines name,” he said. The only reference to the Hilton Curio Collection that visitors will see is a plaque inside the lobby, he said. "Hotel Fort Des Moines" will remain on the marquee.

Construction on the highly anticipated project is expected to begin in the next 30 to 60 days with interior demolition, Patel said.

The renovated Hotel Fort Des Moines will include remodeled guest rooms.(Photo: Special to the Register)

“We are still working through final construction details, but I suspect we will have that wrapped up in the next 60 days,” he said.

The renovation will maintain and restore many of the hotel's historic elements while updating its 290 guest rooms with modern designs.

The crown jewel will be the removal of a second floor that will expose the lobby's original majestic two-story ceiling.

“It has been infilled for 50 years. I still cannot envision or imagine what that will look like, but I think it will be breathtaking and enormous,” Patel said. “It will look like it did originally.”

From left, plaintiffs Trish and Kate Varnum of Cedar Rapids and Jason Morgan and Chuck Swaggerty of Sioux City react to the Iowa Supreme Court ruling in favor of legalizing gay marriage during a press conference at the Hotel Fort Des Moines in 2009. Register file photo

"You will feel the historical nature, but there will be modern touches — especially in the guest rooms," he said.

The renovated hotel will appeal to all kinds of visitors and offer another option for political events, especially during the Iowa caucus season, Patel said. Room prices will be determined by the market, but likely will be at the "top end of the upper scale," he said.

Raj Patel, Corporate Director of Development for Hawkeye Hotels showing two rooms they have taken apart to guage the composition of the floors and walls at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, Monday Feb. 2, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. Rodney White/The Register

Raj Patel, Corporate Director of Development for Hawkeye Hotels showing the demolition to two rooms so they could guage the composition of the walls and condition of the plumbing during renovation at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, Monday Feb. 2, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. Rodney White/The Register

The hotel was built in 1917 by local Des Moines businessmen who wanted to boost the city's image with a flagship hotel. World leaders and celebrities, including Bill Clinton, Charles Lindbergh, Elvis Presley and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, have stayed at the hotel.

The project is scheduled to go before the city's Urban Design Review Board for a final review Tuesday morning.

Features of the renovation include:

A second prominent entrance to the hotel on Walnut Street; the main entrance will remain on 10th Street.

A courtyard on the north side of the building.

An updated entry canopy and windows with the exterior cleaned and tuckpointed.

Returning former office and banquet spaces into guest rooms.

Relocating the main desk back to its original location, which will open up the second story and expose the mezzanine.

Renovated meeting and ballroom spaces.

Remodeled guest rooms and bathrooms with new drywall, painting, furniture and fixtures.

Invision Architecture of Des Moines and the New York-based Krause Sawyer interior design firm are working on the renovation.

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Buy Photo

A framed and signed portrait of Katharine Hepburn at Hotel Fort Des Moines, Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Memorabilia from Hotel Fort Des Moines to be sold in sale scheduled for August 7th and 8th. Rachel Mummey/The Register

The chandelier that once hung in the main lobby sits at Hotel Fort Des Moines on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. A massive sale of Hotel Fort Des Moines memorabilia will be held Aug. 7-9. Rachel Mummey/The Register

A program signed by Charles Lindbergh on display at Hotel Fort Des Moines, Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Memorabilia from Hotel Fort Des Moines to be sold in sale scheduled for August 7th and 8th.
Rachel Mummey/The Register

An old copy of the Des Moines Register on display at Hotel Fort Des Moines on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. A massive sale of Hotel Fort Des Moines memorabilia will be held Aug. 7-9. Rachel Mummey/The Register

"It costs a lot more to restore a historic building than it (does) to build a new building. It is hard to justify that kind of cost when there are new properties at a lower price point," he said. "We have to make sure we have every i dotted and t crossed so that we are setting ourselves up for success."